Gibsonburg 7/25 & 26

[posterboy]

WOW another great appleseed !

There is nothing like seeing a Family shoot together

There is nothing like seeing 2 guys come only Sunday and shoot touching groups with their M1's at their first appleseed !

There is nothing like seeing your own friends shoot over 210 ! way to go Mary  and Dave ( still think you should change your handle to Panama !)

there is nothing like seeing someone don the orange hat for the first time  way to go Dave ! ..I mean Panama.nudge nudge

There is nothing like seeing your other friends who have already shot rifleman recently in orange hats on line. Way to go Fuzzy Math and Peacemaker

And.....there is nothing like sharing our history with other Americans

Saturday started off a bit rough due to a T storm....guess that makes it an official appleseed if it rains. Despite the delay the weather soon improved and by after lunch we cruising on schedule. I don't know what it is about Gibsonburg but it seems to attract great shooters. Everyone improved over Saturday there was some attrition due to the weather but we had close to 30 shooters if not more.

Sunday was great as well. Fuzz and I held a mini Appleseed for those who walked on Sunday and by lunch they were on the main shooting line. I believe the total Rifleman mint was 8 over the weekend !

Thanks to all the shooters whoput forth the effort to attend and came ready to learn. Come on back in August and bring a friend or two !

PB

[hawkhavn]

You guys got a nice writeup here(Post #36):
http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41836&page=4

HH

[MeanStreaker]

I believe the total Rifleman mint was 8 over the weekend

I heard nine when I talked to Dinky Sunday night!     (I'll need some names to add to our Ohio Riflemen listing).

Congratulations to everyone for a very successful event!  You guys are rolling up there now, PB!

[RedNekEngr]

Hey PB, thanks for the great Northern Ohio hospitality.  Our family had a blast so-to-speak .  You have a great range there with fantastic facilities.  Anyone considering an Appleseed in this area, needs to be there for the next one.  Of the Appleseeds I've attended so far, this group improved the most throughout the weekend and were very focused and teachable. 

Hope to see again soon.  Bring the contingency down to Athens sometime.

[Hoyo]

This was my first Appleseed, and I loved it.

I had planned on being there both days but that didn't happen, I will be there in August for both days so I will get to hear the rest of the story. And maybe claim a patch.

A few things I learned for my next Appleseed:
SPF30 isn't enough for my skin, YMMV.
Get a better ventilated hat.
Work on staying in shooting positions for more than a couple of minutes at a time.
Bring a stapler, or three.
Maybe I need a scope 
Write my name on everything that looks the same as other peoples - mags, staplers etc.
Get some hearing protection with sound amplification, I couldn't hear much with muffs and plugs.
Take a camera and get pics of name tags, I met so many people I really liked and can't remember all their names.

Thank you to Dinky, Slim, PosterBoy, RedneckEngr, Peacemaker and Dave (I feel like I'm missing someone).
And that isn't a tip of the hat acknowledging type of thank you, it's from the bottom of my heart for all you did for all us cooks.

And hello to everyone I met, I can honestly say I didn't meet one person I didn't like, unusual for such a large group not to have at least one or two a**holes.
Oh and thanks to slim for the loan of the 10/22.
And thanks to the big guy from Detroit for the granola bar! (this is why I need a camera I forgot your name already < )

[Gordon]

You guys got a nice writeup here(Post #36):
http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41836&page=4

Any chance on posting the text of that item? The link you gave requires a username/passwd. Thanks!
-FM

[Gordon]

There is nothing like seeing a Family shoot together
There is nothing like seeing 2 guys shoot touching groups with their M1's
There is nothing like seeing your own friends shoot over 210!
There is nothing like seeing someone don the orange hat for the first time
And.....there is nothing like sharing our history with other Americans

AND, there is nothing like seeing a new Rifleman or Riflewoman take up an M1-A in front of all the other shooters and, with two sighter-shots, hit a man-size target at 500 yards on the third shot! Apparently, these techniques really work.

Thanks, Posterboy, for making that happen, and for (as usual) doing so much legwork on the shoot in general. Outstanding job on the History, too! I'm not kidding.

-G.W.

[Peacemaker]

This was definately another great Appleseed.  All the participants worked hard on learning proper position and technique.  This was evident in the number of Rifleman qualifications for the weekend.  The weather certainly was a little wet on Saturday morning but it sure didn't dampen the spirit of the shooters. Everyone had a great time.  The Gibsonburg AS continues to grow in size and success.  It was a pleasure working along with Dinky Doa, Poster Boy, Fuzzy Math, Dclaarjr, and Redneck Eng. + family.  Life is good.

[SonsOfLiberty]

A great location and the instructors were excellent!!!

I thought I was a decent shooter until Saturday morning, bench and bipod does not translate to this type of shooting, so I was eating some humble pie.  I gained a huge amount of respect for the abilities of those who sent the redcoats packing.

Slim, it was great hearing the stories from someone as passionate about them as you are.

Thank you to Dinky, Posterboy and Slim who worked closely with me to help me reach my goal for the weekend, and to Redneck Engineer, FuzzyMath, Peacemaker and Panama(Dave) that I didn't work as closely with, but contributed to a very safe and positive experience.

I've been talking to friends and family about coming out to the September Appleseed, and possibly doing some camping.

[posterboy]

SonsofLiberty....it was our pleasure

I just want to let all who may be thinking about coming to Gibsonburg that PRIMITIVE camping is now allowed at the range. If you have a camper ..no problem we can fit  at least 50 of them easily in the parking area so come out.

I don't know why but we always get people to shoot the score here in great numbers..it may be a result of a some mystery force that emanates from the Black Swamp..or it's proximity to the CMP north store ...you decide

Bring yourself and friends...we have room for all !

pb

[Gordon]

... [At] Gibsonburg PRIMITIVE camping is now allowed at the range. If you have a camper ..no problem we can fit  at least 50 of them easily in the parking area so come out.

Just to be clear -- you can park in the lot but we don't have any hookups!

I don't know why but we always get people to shoot the score here in great numbers..it may be a result of a some mystery force that emanates from the Black Swamp..or it's proximity to the CMP north store ...you decide

Posterboy, maybe that's WHY the CMP/Camp Perry was built where it is!

-FM

[Peacemaker]

This was definately another great Appleseed.  All the participants worked hard on learning proper position and technique.  This was evident in the number of Rifleman qualifications for the weekend.  The weather certainly was a little wet on Saturday morning but it sure didn't dampen the spirit of the shooters. Everyone had a great time.  The Gibsonburg AS continues to grow in size and success.  It was a pleasure working along with Dinky Doa, Poster Boy, Fuzzy Math, Dclaarjr, and Redneck Eng. + family.  Life is good.

Slim, of all people, I missed including you on the list.   My apologies.  That's what I get for trying to write a coherent post at 5:00 in the morning.  You and poster boy also did a great job on the history.  I look forward to working with you again.

[ITB]

This was my first Appleseed, and I loved it.

...

And thanks to the big guy from Detroit for the granola bar! (this is why I need a camera I forgot your name already < )

That would be me.  I was the granola guy, one of the two Bills shooting the AR's in the middle of the line.

Thanks to DD, PB, Slim, and all the other instructors.  We had a great time, and learned a lot.  No patch this time, but we're going to the shoot in Fenton, MI in late August and we plan to earn our Rifleman patches then.

[slim]

Yet another awesome time up at G'Burg.

Sorry for the delay, I'm just now getting caught up on sleep (at 3:50 in the AM as I post this.... on Friday!) since a few of us stayed out on the 500 yd. range all the way til the darkness came, just pluggin away at PB's portable pinging target. (Thanks to all for the free ammo. I know I said I do this for posterity's sake, but I'm just a little selfish too!) Now that I'm back into the swing of things.... I'm heading to Carrollton, KY., tomorrow night. Anyone wanna hop in the Jeep with me?

As said above, G'Burg produces the Riflemen. But, more encouraging to me is G'Burg produces results within the program. If we get 100 shooters and 99 make Rifleman, that's awesome. But, if we get only 5 shooters and 4 out of those 5 log on here in the AAR and then pound the pavement next time, head to gun shows to pass out information, bring friends to the next event, set up events, talk to their ranges back home, then take up an Orange Hat on down the road.... that's what we're really after, and that's what happens every single time at G'Burg.

For that, I want to say thank you to all in attendance. Thank you for abandoning your couches for the weekend and heading out and honoring our past and also participating in our future. You are the key to returning America to a nation of Riflemen. It starts with you and from what I've seen up at G'Burg, it's going to happen!

I have pictures but since I'm a tech-doofus, they'll be over on my MySpace page and not here. (http://www.myspace.com/bradleysettle)

Hoyo - Thank you for showing up and sharing your unique insight into our American situation. I love having LPRs and foreign-born citizens attend because it gives another perspective to American folks in attendance. They're already there, but even still, many have not considered what it truly means to have the right to bear arms and what our forefathers set up for us. Having someone like you who shows us first-hand is priceless. You are a great American!

You are also correct about the sunscreen. I use the highest SPF I can find (at least 60+) and then add it several times throughout the day. Folks if you're going to be a shooter, I cannot stress enough - WEAR PANTS!!!! You may even want to wear a long-sleeved shirt as it will help keep the sun off of you, and that'll help keep you focused on your front sight and not how much you hate that stupid.......  Hats are critical as well. And bring water. Lots and lots of water. Like ammo, however much you think you'll need, double it, and then bring some more.

Practicing in positions for long periods of time is also key. Don't do it all at once. Frequency is way more important than duration. Plop down, stay in position 30 seconds, then stand up. Do that three or four times a week (while dry-firing by the numbers and verifying NPOA is on target) and it'll be comfortable in no time! Write your name on everything (maybe even connect it to your body via 550-paracord!) and even if you lose it, maybe someone will be kind enough to return it. (I have several pieces of gear with not only my name, but also my e-mail address on them.)

Hoyo, we missed you on Sunday but the good news is that rifle you used was put to good use by a junior shooter who was there with his dad and they spent the whole day shooting together. How many parents can say their kids actually like spending the whole day with mom or dad?

On that note, I had the pleasure to once again spend a weekend with (part of) the most dangerous family I know, and I say that with a respect that I can seldom dish out in our modern day society. RedNekEng and D.O.M., you two are the epitome of what a mom and dad should be. When we open up the dictionary and look up the word family, there should be a picture of all of you standing there with your rifles! Keep it up, can't wait to see you folks again soon.

PB, FuzzyMath, Dave (and yes, you should be Panama!) and Troy too, thanks for all you do to keep us going at this range. It's because of you guys that we're there. Keep up the good work, and keep grinding away at those club members. It's awesome that we'll be camping next month, I'm really looking forward to it. Special thanks to Mary for inviting us over for probably the best "instructor meeting" I've ever been to, and to FuzzyMath and Dasha, your hospitality meant so much to me, and was quite fun as we just kept on going with our "instructor meeting." You folks made my stay very enjoyable. Peacemaker, I missed shooting with your boys, but you can let them know their pop did an awesome job this weekend. They also still have one of Slim's favorite Appleseed quotes of all time - "shut up and get your NPOA." Luckily, since all of our shooters did an awesome job, we didn't need to employ it!

Shooters..... I think every single one of you showed significant improvement this weekend. We went from groups on paper, to groups in the black. And not only were they in the black, but they were in the black after shifting butts around and verifying NPOA then firing at Rifleman's CADENCE!!!!! A Rifleman fires every shot rapid fire. Once you folks had that down, you were golden! Keep practicing that as you dry-fire at home.

Once the initial "awe" factor of just how great this program is wears off, the next thing that'll jump out at you is the people. You will meet some great Americans out on the Appleseed trail. This weekend I met guys from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and many from Ohio. I have a new Molon Labe sticker on my Jeep too (thanks Archer Ace) and several more folks who will be on the path to joining me in instructing Americans on Heritage and Marksmanship in the near future. And watch out guys, I'm pretty sure Ohio's female instructor corps is going to double, triple, and maybe even quadruple in the next few months since we had so many women who knew well what they're about amongst us. We can attribute every single aspect of Appleseed in Ohio, right now, to one source - Dinky Dao. Without her efforts, AS in Ohio would not be on the path it's on. A big HUZZZAH! to you. (And to Elvis!) 

I also have new folks to add to the list of folks I know who know well what they're about. I still don't have 14,000 but I'm getting closer, and that's bringing me right back to that "awe" factor I was talking about before. I drive home from every single Appleseed event with a satisfaction that I get from very few other things in my life.

This weekend was special for another reason too. Before we left, those of us who were out there at 500 had a chance to talk to the Marine who was sighting in beside us on the line throughout Sunday afternoon. We exchanged stories of marksmanship, hunting, military life, etc. And before it was all over, he talked a little bit about the horrors of warfare and the sacrifices our men and women in uniform still make for us today. They choose to make those sacrifices and they voluntarily do so for our benefit. They're proud to do so. They understand and complete the mission on a daily basis so we don't ever have to even acknowledge it's ugly existence.

The whole way home I reflected on what he shared with us. Not so much the individual stories, but the fact that this young man had seen what it was like. He'd experienced it. He'd lived it. And he didn't revel in the marksmanship - he humbly presented the heritage.

We're lucky. We can revel in the heritage so we never have to know the horrors of presenting our marksmanship.

HUZZAH! HUZZAH! HUZZAH!

See you all next time at G'Burg. 

[Panama]

WOW! What a weekend. I too apologize about not posting here earlier. Monday morning I went on the road for work and got home today.

I had a great time and was able to exceed my goals during the weekend. The rain saturday morning didn't even bother me, I wanted to shoot. 

Saturday did get trying to me a bit. I was messing with s rifle that didn't quite fit, and aggravation while trying to be too perfect, made me get into my head and shoot some of the most horrible groups I have ever shot. At the end of the day we shot our first AQT. I decided to heck with it and just shoot it to have fun, who cares about the score. Well, I shot a 221 and made my Rifleman. Goal 1 completed.

Sunday morning Dinky presented me with my orange hat. (Goal 2) I figured I would just RSO and spend my time learning from the other instructors. Well, the instructor in me couldn't lie still and I began working with the shooters as well. I was able to offer a very small bit of help to one shooter, and we shot an AQT immediately after. We had a new Rifleman, even though she was a woman. I think I was as excited as she was. I was able to make a difference right out of the box. (Goals exceeded)

Other noteable experiences:
My first person I scored as a rifleman is a friend from another gun rights group I belong to. Way to go Archer Ace.
Mrs RedNeckEngr was shooting near me on Saturday. We scored our rifleman at the same time. Way to go!
The history lessons were exemplary. Thanks to Slim and Poster Boy for that. You made the stories fun and I learned a lot.
RedNeck Engineers family was a joy to meet. They are a very well behaved group of young men and women and they do know how to shoot. I see a Riflmans patch in all of their futures.

Most of all, I want to thank the entire staff at this event. They are a very good group of instructors as well as people. Dinky, Slim, Poster Boy, Red Neck Engineer, Fuzzy Math, and Peacemaker made me feel like I was already one of them as soon as I put on the orange hat. You let me do my thing, and I did learn a lot from you both on the line and working the line.

The 500 yard range was a blast. I believe everyone that took a shot or 10 at Poster Boys steel target got a hit on it. That says a lot about this program. We had new rifleman doing this, and within 2 or 3 shots normally. Thanks for letting me play with Elvis, Dinky. I think we got along very well.

Now, for the last part. Dinky, my parts were here when I got home. My AR is now officially assembled and ready to go out and play. Do you want to help me wear out a new rifle? 

[posterboy]

Hey Panama.....like the  new handle !

Fully glad to have you as an Orange hat!

PB

[ArcherAce]

Just thought I'd jump in and thank everyone for their help with my earning my Rifleman patch. 

I had a great time at the shoot.  I wish I could have hung around longer and played at the 500 yard range, but I had things to do before going to work on Monday. 

My oldest daughter (16) is interested in attending the August shoot.  I'm hoping we can make it. 

[MeanStreaker]

Glad you enjoyed it, Ace!